September 18, 2006

• Let's Talk About Yesterday

  I can't do much talking about today, because it's really early in the morning.  I guess I could whine because this migraine is keeping me awake.  So back to yesterday...

  Camping

  Yes, I like to go camping.  I used to love backpacking, but that's just a little too hard for me to do know.  Next month, my left knee will be 3 years old and it's not quite ready for the strenuous backpacking that I used to do (right shoulder will be 3 in another 8 months).  But I still like the camping!  So, now I have 3 tents.  I have my old backpack tent that weighs in at a whopping 6 pounds.  I'm thinking I should sell that one.  I have my Eureka Tetragon 9' x 9' dome tent.  It sleeps 4 as long as everyone is sleeping on the floor.  If you sleep on a cot as I do now, the dome shape makes the floor area smaller due to the cot not being able to fit right in the corner of the floor (got to move it out about 18" due to the slope of the dome).  I don't sleep on the floor anymore!  So, put another cot in there and it's pretty much full.  A 7' long cot that stands 24" will touch the tent wall on each end.  Generally speaking, I'm the only one staying in it and it's a good tent.  I usually set my table up outside, remember it's a dome with a 6' 2" center height, so there's no cooking in the tent.  In inclement weather, it's not a lot of fun sitting outside eating my MREs.

  So, I bought a new tent.  It's the Cabella's Big Horn II tent with the vestibule.  It was on sale, so I got it a little cheaper.  I kinda' wish now that I had bought the wood burning stove for it, too.  I have a propane Buddy for heat.  I've had it for a month or two and hadn't set it up, basically due to all the inclement weather.

  Well, today was nice outside, and one should always try out tents before they have to rely on them, and I set it up.  My Hunni read out the instructions while I put it up.  For the first time, and doing it by myself, it took about 2 hours total.  I guess that's not bad for my limited mentality!   LoL!   And Wow!  It's got a ton of space.  I didn't really realize how much the straight sidewalls would add to the space verses the dome.  A 9' x 9' with 5'+ sidewalls would have probably done well for me, too, but this is just fantastic.  The vestibule adds another 6' to the front so that gives plenty of room to take off dirty boots before going into the tent (or take off wet stuff).  I'm really impressed.

  Can you tell that I'm impressed?

  And since most of my camping is in the fall and winter, this tent is more suited for the rain and snow than my other tent.  I'm thinking about getting the floor liner for it to make it easier to clean.  When I was at Cabella's, they had a sale on the whole package that I can't get now which include what I got, plus the stove and the floor liner.  Now I'm thinking I should have done that!  Geemyknee!

  Tomorrow, I mean today

  I'm going to move my "stuff" out in the tent today; 2 cots, table, chairs, cook stove, etc.  I can do some arranging to see how I like it and I'll be all prepared for when I use it next month for a week.  Then I'll use it for a couple of weeks in November and December, maybe a few days in the beginning of next year.  Spring 2007 will see some more time out.

  I know, I'm a big kid with a new toy!  But it's more; it's what I will be depending on when I go out camping....my home away from home so to speak!

  The FogWalker is getting bleary-eyed....maybe some sleep will come....maybe this migraine will ease up...maybe...
  

  • 5:23 am
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